Chapter 13
Revelations
This was it. Today, at approximately four-in-the-afternoon, was going to be a monumental day. A day in which everything, including life and existence itself, will be changed forever. It was a day looked forward to for months by one, and a decade for others. And there were so many possibilities this entire situation could collapse, ending everything that was worked for to be flushed down the drain.
There was only one shot at this, one shot to get home. And yet it could still easily end up in a tragic defeat. But there was no reason to hold back and hide anymore. The time was now or never.
The Stranger knew this. Flaky knew this. Flippy knew this. They all knew the work that was put into this fight, all the sweat and tears poured to make this day become a reality. But what they didn't know is exactly what will happen. Anything could possibly happen, from an instant success, to perhaps nothing at all. They had one shot, and they had to make it count.
The Stranger stood in front of his mirror inside the wardrobe, and was slowly dawning his tattered coat over his beaten body. He questioned wearing it, as it only made him look like the dirty monster like his time during the darkest of days, but pushed it aside. They weren't going to bother with looks when they hear what he has to say.
He slipped each button into the slots, tightening up the coat until each button was placed correctly. The Stranger patted himself just to feel the coat be placed tightly against his own body. He then slowly looked up and faced himself in the mirror, examining the wounded face covered with bruises and scars. He looked like a killer, which he hoped was not the impression he would not make on everyone.
The Stranger reached for the comb on the slot and slowly brushed his fur, bringing the rough hair to be flatten down and look smooth and clean. If clothes or his face could not be kept clean in appearance, at least his fur could look decent enough. He brushed across his arms and head, going for any tuff of fur that was visible. It was annoying reaching for every spot of his body, but it was achievable. At least by the end of the day, he will no longer have to worry about this furry body anymore.
The thought made him stop his action of brushing his fur. The idea of escaping today was not truly a guarantee, which he continued to deny its possibility of occurrence. He stayed in this world, this false reality… this hell for nine straight months, and all he could think of was finally having the chance to be free once more, to no longer suffer the pain he feels everyday living in a dark world filled with death.
And what about the others? They were here even longer than him, and yet they are sent into a fate worse than his. They are forced to never even realize of the real world above them, and not even know of their own existence. The Tree Friends have their right to live the way they choose, but have been sadly trapped as slaves for a decade.
Which made the idea of the possibility of leaving scary, as they could live another decade, or perhaps even for eternity, living the false reality they never asked to be a part of. Everything the Stranger dreamt of can still be shattered to pieces. Today was going to be the day of judgement, whether his wish for freedom to be granted or not.
The Stranger still stood in his trance, his mind stuck on the idea of failure. He would snap back into consciousness after hearing the sound of his creaky door opening widely. The Stranger jumped a little from the sudden sound and looked over sharply to notice Flaky, standing by the entrance of the bedroom while wearing a thick brown jacket, keeping her body warm from the cold temperatures.
The Stranger shook his head as he smiled, and placed the comb back into the slot as he closed the doors to the wardrobe. "Hey, Flaky… you sleep well?" He looked over to see Flaky give a small grin while nodding her head. He could tell, though, it was a lie due to her baggy eyes, showing a sign of fear of what could happen today
The Stranger accepted it as truth and nodded his head. "Good to hear…" There was a brief pause between words being said. What was there to say? Today was the day they are supposed to leave forever, so is there really anything to say once they meet each other again? The only thing they could do now was stand in awkward silence.
To break the silence, the Stranger decided to bring up their course of action. "Has… has Flippy already begun spreading the word?" Flaky nodded instantly. "Good, good. We need to get everyone's attention as soon as possible to get this to work." He stood silent once more and looked at Flaky with worry. "You still up to leaving outside to tell the others?"
Flaky looked at the Stranger with a serious expression, and nodded her head. "Yes."
The Stranger smiled widely as he walked towards her. "Good…" He stood in front of Flaky just a step away from her face, and they both stared silently at each other. They both then leaned forward and gave the tightest hug they could give, holding each other in a tight grasp that would be nearly impossible to separate.
The Stranger petted her quills like hair and spoke calmly. "We will succeed today, Flaky, I'm sure of it. We will all go home, our real home, in our real form, and will be safe and happy again. And when were up there, we will be able to meet each other face to face, remember the time we fought in here, and continue our lives together the way it is meant to be. We're going home, Flaky… I… I promise it will happen."
Flaky shed a few tears she attempted to hide, not wanting to show any emotion for this day. The stutter from the Stranger's last sentence made her realize even he had doubts, the man who fought the hardest still had the mentality of defeat being possible. She wanted to leave this world just like him, and wanted to spend the rest of her days the way she would want them to be spent… especially being able to continue sharing with him. But it can still fail in the end, and she sadly had to accept it.
They held each other in the inseparable hug for half a minute, standing silently together as they kept each other tight. Knowing that nothing will be accomplished standing still, the Stranger brought himself to let go of Flaky and stand up straight, looking slightly down to her as she looked up, wiping away a few tears from her crying eyes.
The Stranger sighed as he nodded his head, and gestured his arms to point out of the room. "Well… it's about time we start getting ready. You go out and help Flippy to get everyone, including the generics, to meet at the base of the large tree in the center of town, keeping everyone in an orderly fashion in the open park." The Stranger looked down and placed his hands in his coat pockets. "I'm… going to stay just a bit longer and… meditate on what I will do. I have one shot of doing this, so I need to do this right. You okay with that?" Flaky nodded without hesitation.
The Stranger smiled and nodded her head along with Flaky, and let her exit his bedroom to continue today's objective. He waited briefly, standing still with his hands in his pocket, and went into a total state of panic after he heard her footsteps going down the stairs. The Stranger ran out of his room and popped his head between the barrier of his room and the hallway. "Flaky!"
Flaky turned around and faced the Stranger, who was breathing at a faster pace as he kept his eyes on her. He swallowed his throat and nodded his head. "I-I just w-wanted to say to y-you… be careful… okay?" Flaky stared back silently for a short time, and answered with a nod and grin. The Stranger's breathing relaxed after seeing her response, and waved goodbye to her as she waved back.
With the sound of the front door opening and closing, the Stranger entered his room once more to have one more observation of his little base. His desk was covered with journals and notes containing statistics and mission details, his wall painted with pictures and maps with marks and checkpoints describing locations of interests, and, at the end of his room, lied his large cache of gear varying in quality and specifics.
From what started as a simple bedroom had now become a miniature base. It was his home for seven months. And now it will never be seen again. "Good riddance."
The Stranger looked over to his supply area and instantly noticed his blue-backpack, his most essential tool to surviving in the cruel and hellish world. He walked over and knelt to the ground, unzipping the top to reveal its contents. Still holding his usual set of gear from yesterday, he sighed and nodded his head. "Man… I looked so stupid with this thing on. No need to worry now, though."
Before he went got off to move out of his room, he went into deep thought of the contents of his backpack. Despite how useless it was needed to be lugging around now, he had a feeling to just grasp the item one more time. Agreeing with his decision, he went back inside the backpack and pulled out Flaky's quill, the same quill he pulled out of him after the falling of the tower.
He still, after seven months, had no idea why he bother carrying it, what purposed it serve. Perhaps it was a reminder of her, and with Flaky in his thoughts, gave his will to fight. Whatever the purpose, he just needed to observe and hold it one more time before leaving the world. The Stranger took the quill and hid it inside his left jean pocket, keeping it nice and secure within the walls of his pocket.
He stood back up straight once more and brought his hand inside his leather coat to search through the inside coat pocket. The Stranger then quickly pulled out his black wool cap and placed it over his head, keeping his head warm from the cold weather. Looking outside the window of his bedroom, though, it appeared to be a sunny day, not a cloud in the sky. It'll be cold, but at least the sunlight will be perfect for the peaceful scenery.
The Stranger moved towards the exit of his bedroom after taking a gander out his window and proceeded to move to the first floor. Before making his complete exit, he grabbed Flippy's knife he 'borrowed' back at his house three months ago, just in case something bad occurs along the way to the tree.
Checking to see he was all set and ready to go, he went downstairs and stood within the boundaries of the kitchen, coming to a halt as he looked around the house. He smiled as he observed the scenery, bringing back memories of his time here with Flaky, the good times living with her, the nice things they did for each other.
This was at least one thing he will miss doing in the world. Despite the evil that existed in the land, it was here at least he knew where he could find comfort, both from the home and from Flaky. The Stranger worried how life will be like once he exited the world, if anything changed for the worse… and what will happen when they finally meet each other in their real forms.
He let out a depressing sigh and shook his head, removing the negative thought from his mind. Everything will turn out good in the end. Today, they will be free from the cursed land, escaping the hands of a mad man, and will forever once again live in peace in the real world. It will all go down smoothly without consequences.
But… there was something he forgot to tell Flaky that he decided was best to not let her know. The vision he had last night… the mad man, and his stature of a giant, ready to strike and kill everything in sight. His figure was more terrifying than Evil, and his strength overpowering him a thousand-fold. While it was purely a vision, the mad man had warned him plenty times beforehand, and proved to be correct. But this had to be a bluff; there was no way he could be capable of such terrifying destruction… right?
"Oh dear God… please… just let this day be the end of it all…"
Today was surprisingly (and frighteningly) peaceful. The sun gleaming above the winter wonderland of Happy Tree Town, still covered in snow. The quiet sound of minimal traffic mixed with a pleasant breeze. It was a calming day; perfect to tell everyone that they are currently living in Hell.
As instructed, Flippy and Flaky spent the majority of their time spreading the news of a 'big announcement' happening at the base of the town's majestic tree at the center of town. It was described to be a shocking piece of news that could change the course of history and life itself. With such words used to describe an upcoming event, it would be idiotic to skip out.
The two Tree Friends took different approaches to spreading the word. While the two decided it was best to split up, covering two parts of the town at the same time, they discussed the event in different patterns.
Flippy was upright with discussing the upcoming announcement, going to the busiest of areas to yell and rally the crowds. Through a loud and strong voice mixed with convincing words, Flippy was able to successfully convinced Tree Friends hanging around parks, stores and busy streets to meet at the Tree at 4:00 PM sharp. This method was effective for gathering the larger parts of town in quick time, getting the news out by barking commands.
Flaky took a more subtle approach. She entered calmer parts of town which were the least active compared to Flippy's decided locations of interests. Instead of yelling out the news, she spread the word to individuals or small groups, quietly getting the announcement out to others that would slowly breach out to tell other Tree Friends. By hitting smaller groups that were well hidden or unnoticeable, she was able to raise attention to groups of people who would willingly spread the word onto others nearby, which, in turn, spread the news across town. It was a small but effective approach.
With the two working simultaneously, the word of a big announcement happening today picked up in heat rather quickly. Tree Friends who heard the news in one section of town went to other parts to yell out the planned event, whose importance raised the curiosity of many Tree Friends. What was the announcement going to be? Why at the base of the big tree? What could be so important?
Whatever the case, all of the questions that arose from the announcement, from both Flippy and Flaky, only created a rise in interest of hearing the news. If a small group of Tree Friends were out telling the news now, it had to be important, and everyone should be there to listen. The event was, indeed, going to be a big one.
As Flippy and Flaky continued to address the crowds of people within the boundaries of Happy Tree Town, the Stranger sat at the base of the tree, leaning his back against the bark while keeping his head down. He pushed his legs out to lay at an angle, allowing him to rest his arms on his raised knees to relax.
But how could he relax? As the Stranger sat quietly by the huge tree that cast a shadow large enough to cover nearly half the park it rested in, his mind was clouded with thoughts of fear and doubt. Today will be the deciding moment that all of his hard work will pay off, taking him and everyone else home. He had one chance to convince the Tree Friends to convert to the truth, and even then, the possibility of anything happen was minimal.
And what could he say? What words can he use to rally the audience into believing him? He tried once and failed miserably. Today may well end up just the same as before: a disastrous and embarrassing attempt of saving others. But he had to try; the Stranger worked too hard and for too long to come to this very moment to just quit. He had to finish the fight, and today was the time to do it.
The Stranger heard the sound of snow being crunched, the sound becoming more audible and getting closer to him. He looked up to see two familiar faces that warmed his doubting heart. Flippy was standing up straight, his hands inside his BDU jacket and while giving a small grin. Flaky, who stood next to him, was shaking a little while keeping her hands within the thick pockets of her coat, but she kept a warm smile as she looked at the Stranger.
The Stranger smiled at the sight of his two friends, one old and one new, and reached out his hand to Flippy to be lifted back to his feet. The Stranger got himself into a stable position on the snow-covered ground, and brushed off some of the dirt that came with him from sitting down for too long. He kept his eyes on his friends, who held their smiles in place.
He nodded his head as placed a tiny grin on his face. "So… it's been done?" Instead of replying with words, Flippy and Flaky moved aside to give the Stranger a clear view of hundreds of incoming Tree Friends down the small incline, coming from all entrances of the park. They came in masses, all coming in together like a marching rally. He could hear the loud sounds of conversations combined together to form a loud volume of cluttered speech, all of it involving this meeting.
The Stranger took note of the many people coming in. Upon the hundreds and hundreds of generics, he was able to point out the many unique Tree Friends that he requested of Flippy and Flaky to alert, and noticed they were successful in accomplishing that task. From Petunia to Giggles, Handy to Cuddles, Pop to Cro-Marmot, and even Splendid (who caught word thanks to his incredible hearing powers), all of them showed up, and took front row positions in front of the crowd.
The Stranger was startled after hearing the sound of his watch going off. He looked at his right arm and pulled away the coat sleeve to reveal the watch, stating the time was now '4:00 PM.' He smiled while nodding his head, turning the alarm off to seize the sound. It was time. It all comes down to this very moment. And the Stranger was ready to finish it.
He looked up to his friends again, who stood by his sides, Flippy on the right and Flaky on the left, giving him reassuring smiles. They supported his word no matter what, the two Tree Friends he can absolutely count on of trusting him. They were ready to finish this entire fiasco right now as much as he did, and were ready to lend a hand when needed.
The Stranger felt a soft hand reach his left shoulder and looked to see Flaky staring at him, a cheerful tear almost appearing in her right eye. He smiled at her, and was grateful to have her by his side this moment. But then he was sent into shock from her latest move, just before he was about to say anything to the crowd; Flaky leaned in and kissed the Stranger's left cheek, planting her soft lips on his rough fur.
His face turned slightly red as Flaky backed off, still holding her smile. He felt her lips touch him once, but only when he was in pain. This kiss felt more to him, and only wanted to stand and enjoy it more. Flaky giggled at his shocked stance and gestured him to look forward at the massive crowd, who were beginning to turn silent as the time for the announcement was here.
The Stranger snapped back into reality and nodded his head and looked forward once more at the crowd, every Tree Friend keeping their eyes on him. His body shook a little, fear and doubt rushing into his mind once more, with a little hint of stage-fright from the vast number of the attending audience. The Stranger took a deep breath, calming his state of mind and sanity, and closed his eyes as he meditated on what his first words were going to be.
STRANGER!
The Stranger's peaceful thinking will be broken as the mad man returned back with a dark voice that rang through his head. He cringed at the loud sound, still keeping his position as he left his eyes closed, hoping to not make a scene in public. He spoke silently in his head to avoid confusion from the crowd. "What the hell do you want now?!"
Stranger, this is it. I am warning you one more time. ONE LAST TIME! I have been easy, too easy on you, and now I must take affirmative action, full control of everything above you. This is your final warning, Stranger. Back away right now, tell the crowd to leave and go back to their original positions, and STOP EVERYTHING! No more hero work, no more saving, just LEAVE and stop this fight once and for all. I will not ask you again, Stranger!
The Stranger stood patiently, his eyes still closed as he thought on the mad man's words. Nine months of living in hell, nine months of fighting death and destruction, nine months of living in fear of death every second, and he was being told right now to stop, that everything he worked for should be tossed aside as if it were worth nothing.
"Fuck you; I don't have to take your shit anymore, and neither will they. It's over, I won, admit it now and end it once and for all."
STRANGER! THIS. IS. SERIOUS! Think about what you are doing and who you are messing with! You go out there right now and tell them the truth, and I swear, I will destroy you and every person in this world. Everything will be brought to shambles, erased from existence. I will kill every person here, ending their lives and their memories. All your work will be abolished, and when I kill all your friends and destroy this world, I will kill you, and we all know what the result will be.
The Stranger waited for a short time, once again thinking deeply on the mad man's warning. He then opened his eyes and stared straight forward, no expression on his face being made. "I'll take my chances…"
STRANGER, DON'T-
The Stranger blocked out the noise of the mad man. He no longer kept his focus on his taunting and threatening words, but instead focused on what mattered now: finishing the fight.
He took a few steps forwards in front of Flippy and Flaky, who still stood by his sides. The Stranger looked back and forth, observing the crowd one more time, making an estimate of over a thousand attendees, with only 21 being necessary for this battle to finally end. He looked beneath him to notice every unique Tree Friend was standing in front of everyone else, which made this mission perfect since they are the only ones that truly mattered.
The Stranger cleared his throat, stretched his body, took a deep breath, came up with the words to say, and reached out his arms forward while raised in the air, getting everyone to notice him. He spoke loudly and with a strong tone. "Good afternoon everyone! It's great to see such a massive turnout here today. I honestly expected about… only 20 of you to show up, but I guess this is better."
The entire crowd made a sensible chuckle as they kept their eyes on the Stranger. He made a good laugh; now he has their attention. The Stranger dropped his arms and smile and spoke clearly. "You are all probably wondering many questions this moment. Who is this man? What will he say? What does he want? Should I go to the bathroom now or later? The answer is no to the last one, just hold it a bit." Another sensible chuckled was made throughout the crowd.
"Well, at least one of those questions will be answered… and the answer I am about to give you… will change everything. My name is…" The Stranger stood still a second before shaking his head. "Well who I am doesn't matter right now, but what does matter is what I have to say. I know something that none of you know. I know a truth, a terrible truth, a truth that is indeed horrific and terrifying, and it must be told to you all right now. And I can only hope that, when I finish speaking, you will all be convinced that it is, indeed, the reality of life itself."
Everyone in the crowd gasped at his statement. A truth? A terrifying truth?! A truth we don't know but he does?! What could it be?! All of these questions only instilled fear and curiosity into all of the observing Tree Friend's hearts, their eyes opening widely as they stared at the Stranger, who surprisingly stood calmly while watching the crowd.
He knew he had their full attention. They were ready to hear. Now was the time to see, though, that they will accept it. "Everyone… this world… everything you see… from the buildings we enter… to the land we walk across… and the bodies we all live in," The Stranger took a break of silence, taking a deep breath to say the words he wanted to say for months, "is nothing but a lie."
Everyone in the crowd yelled loudly at the last word: 'lie.' The Stranger had just told over a thousand of innocent people that the life they live is nothing but a lie. What does he mean by this? How can this be possible? Why would he say such a thing?! Is this man even trustworthy?!
The crowd began to converse to each other, discussing what they just heard from an unknown man they saw only for a short time. Their volume of discussion rose as they stayed in their groups, all of them still keeping their eyes on the Stranger with confusion, fear, and curiosity.
The Stranger reached out his hands again and yelled with a stern voice. "Everyone, please, calm down and listen!" The voices of the crowd slowly died down as they heard the Stranger speak once more. "Look, I know it sounds preposterous, like just the words of an insane man that it is nothing but a hoax, but it is indeed true." The Tree Friends continued to leave their eyes on the Stranger, staying silent as he continued to speak.
"The reason I know this truth, this awful truth, is because I am different from you all. All of you are not what you are, the 'Tree Friends' if you will. Instead, you are actually human beings, live humans that are all trapped in a virtual world that is designed to make you look and act the way you do now. You've been here for possibly years. But I, on the other hand, am different. I have only been here for nine months. I am an outsider of this world, new to this hellhole, and because of it, I was able to avoid the many restrictions and rules you all face today, including forced to lose all memories of the outside world."
"With this ability to retain my memories, I was able to observe this world from my point of view, and listen and discover the secrets that happen here. Living in this world, I have ruled that many of you, nearly every day, is destined to die in some form, normally something abnormal, exaggerated, or plain gruesome. Upon death, your memories are erased, making you unable to remember the events that occurred before hand."
The Stranger looked down an observed Petunia. "Not only that, but upon every day, wounds are recovered and destruction is repaired to a state as if nothing ever happened. Petunia, remember yesterday, the fire at the house?" Petunia nodded. "Well, you see, if we weren't there to save you, you would have been destined to die, unable to save yourself because this world said you had to die; you had no choice."
"But because of me, an outside source of this world, came in to assist you, we cheated the world and its intended goal, which allowed you to survive an accident that was purely blown out of proportion. And look at you now. Yesterday, you were covered in ash, burn marks and bruises. Today, you are clean as a whistle, and yet you still retain the memory"
Petunia observed herself and realized she was indeed free of any wounds, despite the damage she took at the burning house. The Stranger looked over at Pop and began question him. "Speaking of houses, Pop, your house caught on fire, yes?" Pop nodded while holding his son close to him, remembering the tragic memory. "Well, that entire house collapsed that day. But now, all of a sudden, it is repaired back to its original state, as if nothing happened, but you still recall it happening."
Pop looked down confused, still grasping onto his son tightly. He remembered seeing his house that night completely destroyed, along with his son severely injured from the smoke he inhaled. But now… it was clear, all signs of disaster erased. How was this possible?
The Stranger noticed the confusion that some of the Tree Friends were having, all of them having their own set of doubts after hearing the evidence be spoken clearly. For the first time, they were actually taking deep consideration, thought about the world around them. The Stranger nodded his head, seeing that progress was going smoothly. He had to show more, however, to keep them convinced enough to reveal the answer to it all.
He stood up straight and took a few steps back until he was next to Flippy and Flaky once more. The Stranger then looked over at Flaky and spoke loudly for the other Tree Friends could hear. "And it isn't just recent events such as that has occurred. These disasters have been going on for years, these exaggerated events that are far from reality. And one such person has seen it more, and survived it, longer than any of you." He gestured his hand to Flaky, which everyone stared at with awe. Flaky blushed as everyone brought their attention to her, making her shy.
The Stranger smiled and continued to speak. "She has survived countless disasters, from a tower falling upon her to surviving an attempted murder in her own home. Flaky here has seen the danger herself, and is the first to accept this truth before any of you did." He leaned in to her ears and whispered silently. "Give them something convincing, Flaky. I know you can do it."
Flaky nodded her head with a serious expression, and walked forward a few steps while waving her arms in the air. While the Stranger was still, even after months of living in this world, unable to understand their language, he watched how Flaky gestured her hands and walk back and forth, her vocal tones rising up and down during parts of her speech. From his position, he could see her describing the events of the tower, plus any moment with the Stranger she knew would be convincing words to believe him.
The Stranger smiled widely as he watched Flaky successfully woe the crowd with her words. The shy girl was standing in front of a huge crowd to help him, aiding his goal to save everyone. She was amazing at this, and could not be happier to see her work the crowd.
After she stopped speaking, she turned around and gestured the Stranger once more. He nodded and faced the crowd, who were staring in shock of all of Flaky's speech, retelling so many events that seemed even more convincing coming from a well-known source.
The Stranger was not done yet, though, as he took a gander at Flippy, standing tall in a parade-rest position. He gestured his hands for the crowd to see him. "Flaky is not the only other Tree Friend to accept it, but this man here is also one who knows what this world is like, for he is one of the first to break his own character and become his own man." Everyone kept their eyes on Flippy, some in shock while others in fear from the sight of the solider. The Stranger walked up to him and whispered in his ear. "You know what to do, Flippy. Tell them your side."
Flippy nodded and went to attention. He walked forward and addressed the crowd with a strong voice. He stood still in front of the crowd, slowly observing the curious eyes of the Tree Friends beneath him. Like Flaky, his language was untranslatable to the Stranger, but his vocal patterns were easily decipherable.
Flippy told about his past, what he had faced, what his life was forced to become that wasn't because of him but by something else. He told everyone about how he was designed to be a killer, which shocked everyone in the crowd, some of them wanting to run away at the sound of the man talking was a murderer. Flippy, however, calmed them down after telling his story with the Stranger, with the fateful day at Happy Tree Woods where he finally eradicated Evil, and became pure once more.
The fact that even a person in this world is forced to live a dreadful lifestyle was more proof to the Tree Friends of the type of world they lived in. They believed this was reality beforehand, never taking into consideration of the many faults in life. But now, it seems more convincing to hear the words of two other individuals along with a single event that proved other cases. Buildings repairing themselves? People instantly healed? Death causing memory lost? People designed to live a certain life despite them never being that way before? None of this could be real. So why does it happen?
Flippy came back to stand by the Stranger, and gave a quick nod, knowing he did his part of convincing and was proven successful. The Stranger returned the nod and faced the crowd once more. They all stood in shock and confusion, yet none stood up to question the Stranger, Flaky or Flippy. Instead… they were believing in them. But they still needed an answer to all of this, and the Stranger knew now was the time to reveal it.
He took a step forward again and raised his arms in the air, grabbing the crowd's attention. "Now, I know what you heard just now is scary and possibly something you never wanted to hear. Trust me, I was scared the first time I found out. I wanted to ignore it just like you all, but a situation like this cannot be ignored; it must be addressed."
The Stranger dropped his arms and continued to speak loudly. "But none of you have to fear anything, for I know why this happens, why these situations occur, why you are all here today in this rotten world, and what is behind all of this chaos. I know… because he told me."
The Tree Friends all stood straight, hearing the Stranger and pondering his last few words. He? Who is he referring too?
The Stranger tilted his head back to look up towards the blue sky, and waved his hand for others to look up as well. "Everything that happens is not by mere coincidence. Anything that happens, from the simple mistake to a terrible catastrophe, and the way everything is now, from your bodies to this world, is all caused and designed by an evil mad man, a human being like us, but instead cowers and hides beyond this world, and acts as God to control our lives."
The Stranger faced the crowd again as they all dropped their heads. "This mad man has spoken to me numerous times, foretelling me multiple dangers that I refused to accept but were proven true. He told me the arrival of Flippy, he haunted me with his 'powers' to show what kind of destruction he can caused. He has admitted this world to be his own creation, that you are slaves to his work, and has only proven himself to be an evil God that controls us all."
All the Tree Friends who stood beneath the Stranger began to whimper and cry in fear. The news of this world being ruled over by an evil God, and that everything that happens will be from him? Worse, they are all destined to die without their own consent, no choice but to accept it because it is all controlled by some mad man? This was tragic news that was, sadly, a reality, and one they were just now being aware of.
They could not make out anything of the announcement. So their world is fake, their bodies are shells for their real forms, they are destined to die, and everything that happens is done by a mad man. What can they do to avoid all of this? Is there anything they can do to be free from this cursed world?
The Stranger noticed their questioning and feared looks and raised his arms once more to grab their attention. "There is a way, though, that I believe, if done right here, right now, all of this," he gestured his hands across the crowd of people and the environment around him, "from the forced death cycle to your false identities, can all be erased, freeing every one of us from this world and go back to our own homes."
The crowd went silent. Instead of questioning the Stranger, they now decided to listen to his plan. If what he says was true, if everything that happens now can be stopped, than why judge him? If there is a world better than the one they live in, than it is best to risk it and accept whatever the Stranger had to say.
He stood tall and spoke with a strong voice, staring proudly at the crowd beneath him who all gave every bit of attention to him. "I have told you the truth that was hidden from your eyes and memories for over a decade. You have just witnessed, for the first time in your lives, the reality of this world and how it works. You now know everything that was kept secret from you. So, that leaves only one action left for you all to perform."
The Stranger walked forward and reached out his arms and gestured the entire crowd that surround him. "If you all can stand up and accept this truth, that what I say is indeed the reality of this world, that you all break from this destined course of your lives, break from your character and fate, become your own free person and decide to not follow what this world states that you must do, there is the chance we can break this false reality, forever destroying it as no one will be truly attached to it, and we can fight back the mad man's rules, never again having to listen to him. If you accept the truth now, he will lose control of you, and thus, have no choice but to set us free, and all of the troubles you see today will never have to be witnessed again."
He lowered his arms and nodded his head. "So… do you believe me?"
The Stranger stood silent, his arms by his side as he looked left and right, observing every Tree Friend beneath him. No one made a single sound or gesture. Not a single person has yet made a response to the Stranger's words. There was only silence that was being emitted from the crowd of people.
The Stranger's mind started to have doubt once more. This silence was scaring him to death, sending him into a state of panic. He did all he could to convince them, saying everything he had to say the best way he could, and used all the evidence, along with the aid of two friends, to support his cause. And there was still that dreadful chance that it will have been all for nothing. He closed his eyes and cringed at the thought, and prayed silently it will be successful.
Then he heard a sound, a little squeak that was energetic in tone. The Stranger opened his eyes and looked up, and noticed a beautiful sight that brought joy and peace to his heart.
Cub, who was being held tightly in Pop's hand, was waving his arm in the air, with a happy smile on his face. He flung his arm in the air multiple times with excitement in his eyes, and kept speaking in a high pitch tone that, saying a word that made the Stranger smile across his entire face.
"Me!"
As Pop watched his son wave his hand in the air, shouting out to the Stranger to show his support for his word and the truth, he raised his own hand in the air, and spoke with a deep voice and nodded. "Me."
The Stranger looked shortly across from Pop to see another hand raised, this one yellow in color. Upon inspection, it was Cuddles, who gave a grin and a quick nod. "Me."
The continuation of support was followed by Handy who, despite not having hands, used his stubby arms to swing back and forth and yell loudly. 'Me!"
The Stranger began to shed a tear of joy as he watched the entire crowd slowly begin to raise their hands, including Lammy, Lumpy, Russell, Lifty, Shifty, Petunia, Giggles, Splendid, Sniffles, and every other Tree Friend, both unique and generic, to show their support for the Stranger.
There was no word he could use to describe his emotions this very moment. After months of fighting, it all paid off in the end. Every Tree Friend has now accepted his word; he has gained the support of the entire population of Happy Tree Town. And, more importantly, he grabbed the support from the unique Tree Friends, the real ones that are trapped, the slaves to the mad man. But now, with their minds accepting the truth, they no longer have to follow his rule; freedom was in their grasp.
The Stranger wiped away a tear from his eye as Flaky and Flippy came up to his sides. He looked back and forth to see the faces on his friends, who all gave a warm smile and a slow nod. They did it. It was a major victory today; a victory they will never forget, even when they finally exit this world.
The Stranger nodded and placed his hands by his hips, standing proudly at his achievement. "It's done. We won. Now all we have to do now is wait for that son of a bitch to-"
The Stranger's victory speech would be cut off short as a loud bang was heard across the world. Everyone who was attending the announcement dropped to the ground while covering their head, the sound almost acting like a lightning strike hitting right next to them. The Stranger, Flippy, and Flaky stood their ground by the base of the tree, looking around sharply wondering where the sound came from.
The Stranger then looked up towards the sky and noticed the blue color transforming into a blood red, and storm clouds began to cover all of Happy Tree Town with their menacing dark-grey color. His eyes widen as he constantly heard the sound of thunder being crackled across the sky, and a small breeze that has suddenly begun to pick up. He could not explain what was happening.
But he would not have to think long to know exactly where this change in weather was coming from, as the sound that came up next terrified him to the point of sending him into cardiac arrest. And this particular sound was not heard just by him anymore. But now, it was heard by everyone.
SO, NOW YOU ALL THINK I'M JUST SOME PATHETIC GOD NOW, HUH?! IS THAT WHAT YOU ALL THINK NOW?! BECAUSE SOME RANDOM STRANGER TELLS YOU SO?! YOU THINK YOU ALL CAN JUST CHANGE NOW, BECOME SOME REBEL GROUP AGAINST ME, FIGHT ALL MY HARD WORK AND ACT LIKE IT WAS ALL FOR NOTHING?!
The Stranger, Flippy, and Flaky all huddled up together in fear as the crowd beneath them began to scream in terror, the sound of a dark and evil God suddenly speaking to them in a terrifying sound that shook them to the core. They had no idea what they could do; a powerful man was, all this time, watching them constantly, and there was no plan available on what to do next.
The sky above them began to rotate, the clouds moving in a circular motion as they began to darken in color. Lightning continued to strike the ground in rapid intervals, and the wind began to pick up in a strong breeze, almost pushing down the Stranger and his friends.
As they held their ground as best as they could, the mad man returned again with his evil voice that scared everyone.
I AM YOUR MASTER! I AM YOUR GOD! YOU ARE TO ALWAYS OBEY BY MY RULES, FOR THIS IS MY WORLD! AND IF YOU ALL RATHER FOLLOW THE WORDS OF A STRANGER INSTEAD OF YOUR GOD, THAT YOU RATHER REBEL AGAINST YOUR MASTER AND FAIL TO BOW TO MY RULE, THAN YOU ARE WORTH NOTHING TO ME! YOU ARE ALL NOTHING BUT VERMIN, AND YOU MUST BE TAKEN CARE OF!
Everyone who stood helplessly beneath the dark clouds look above them and noticed something horrific. A large hole was beginning to open within a small patch in the clouds, and an orange light was slowly rising in luminosity. The Stranger and his friends watched as well, staring in fear and shock as what was going to be emitted from the open gap in the sky.
The Stranger's eyes widen in absolute horror as he noticed a fierily aura forming around the hole, and began to assume the worse situation possible. There was no doubt that nothing good was coming out of there, and began to yell loudly to the screaming crowd. "EVERYONE, GET-"
As he spoke to the crowd, the hole in the sky shot down a giant burning boulder as if it were launched by a catapult. The Stranger saw the flaming rock heading towards a large patch of generic Tree Friends, and was dropped to the ground, smashing their bodies. Upon the boulder's heavy impact to the ground, a shockwave cracked the ground and sent everyone to their knees.
The Stranger quickly pushed himself up and noticed the medium size rock, which crushed the bodies of a dozen innocent Tree Friends, their bodies smashed into pieces and set to flames as the fire continue to emit from the boulder. He began to hyperventilate at the sight of the massive destruction and murder that one rock was able to cause. And it was a powerful tool summoned by the mad man.
Everyone in the crowd frantically ran in different directions, oblivious to the world as they were sent into a state of insanity and panic. They were going to be killed, and they had no leader to save them all. Death was upon them, and there was no escape from it.
Flippy and Flaky got up to their feet and stood by the Stranger once more, both of them in a state of panic as much as he was, but still held their ground and determination to not stop fighting. They can't give up yet, they had to give moving forward.
As the Stranger tried to formulate a plan, another meteor was shot down from the sky, this time striking down at the base of a tower, destroying its foundations and causing it to fall to the ground in flames. Those who were near the building were instantly crushed by the falling rubble or consumed by the deadly smoke, and the shockwave was able to damage other buildings and send people down to the ground.
The three friends ran forward, still trying to think of a way to escape this mass homicide being caused by a God they cannot see. As they try to come up with an escape plan, the Stranger heard a hissing sound emitting from the tall tree, and observed the base of it to notice another terrifying sight.
Looking closely at the tree, he was able to piece together that this was no natural tree. In front of his view, he watched a door disguised as the bark on the tree slowly rise upward, revealing a bright light that nearly blinded anyone who stared at it. The Stranger brought up his arms to his squinting eyes as he watched the giant door slowly open to reveal the large room that always hid inside the 'tree.'
He looked up to the sky once more and listened to the evil voice of the mad man once more.
IF I CAN NOT MAKE YOU BOW TO ME, THAN PERHAPS THEY WILL!
The Stranger looked forward and leaned in to examine multiple shadowy figures emerge from the bright light of the tower. He stood still, trying to examine the mysterious figures and what their purpose was.
He gasped at the sight of their full reveal upon exiting the gate of the tower. They were dark shadows of the figures of Tree Friends, their bodies all charcoal black with dark smoke emitting around their bodies. Their eyes were crimson red, and their teeth were nothing but sharp blades that were dripping with blood. But it wasn't the bodies that scared the Stranger the most.
It was that each of these Shadows had a deadly weapon that resembled something from the medieval periods. Some carried small knifes to large swords. Some wielded bows with sharp arrows. And the most fearsome of Shadows were in what appeared to be armor carrying maces or axes. They were an evil army of troops, every one of them summoned by the hands on an evil God.
The Shadows stood in front of the tower, with an uncountable number behind the first rank. The Stranger could not count the number of Shadows emerging from the gate, as there was no sign of them stopping from spawning. He took a few steps back while shaking with fear, Flippy and Flaky following suit.
Then he heard the last words of the mad man, which signaled only death and defeat to his entire plan.
KILL! THEM! ALL!
The Shadows that stood in front of the Tree all shouted in a large chant, and, with one more battle cry, charged downward to the crowd, their weapons raised and ready to kill.
The Stranger yelled loudly to the already screaming Tree Friends. "RUN! EVERYONE, RUN!"
He made an about face and beckoned in fear to Flippy and Flaky, both who instantly agreed to follow by his side. As the three ran, they all yelled out to every Tree Friend they could see, anyone who was in a state of panic and unable to make a decision. "EVERYONE, FOLLOW US! FOLLOW US NOW! ESCAPE THE TOWN, NOW!"
This message was repeated non-stop, grabbing every Tree Friend's attention, both unique and generic. The Stranger observed that the most important group, the unique ones, had caught word already and instantly followed the Stranger. Anyone else was unnecessary, but the generics who heard followed suit.
The Stranger and his collected group of Tree Friends did their best to not look back at the destruction, but their fear got the best of them. As he turned his head around while escaping the park with hundreds of Tree Friends, he watched how those who were unsuccessful in escaping be captured or slaughtered by the Shadows, either smashing them with hammers or shooting them with arrows. Everyone who was unable to escape was brought to their untimely deaths.
To help with the retreat, Splendid kept his position in the air to help as many Tree Friends avoid the rising army of Shadows coming from the tower. Stopping them now was useless; they head to escape at all costs. His lasers came in handy to ward off Shadows from Tree Friends and his strength help removed rubble from destroyed buildings that were torn down by the constantly falling meteors of the sky. He was on a non-stop work of helping out as many people as he could.
The Stranger faced forward again and ran down the streets with all the Tree Friends he could aid behind him. His heart was pounding and fear was filling his mind as multiple meteors continued to fall from the sky in front of him, and the Shadows behind them catching up to their position, only at certain points being stalled by Splendid.
He was scared, scared and sent into doubt about how he could possibly fight this off. He was running for his life along with hundreds of others, and he had no ability to fight these monsters off. The Stranger was on a retreat that only proved his work to be labeled as a defeat.
They ran. All they could do right now was run and scream in fear. The world was coming to an end, and the mad man was enjoying every second of his slaves being tortured, killed, or sent into a panic frenzy. The Stranger shed a tear as he could hear the mad man above him laugh sadistically, watching his only opposition flee from battle.
The Stranger, Flippy, Flaky, and all the generic Tree Friends they were successfully able to grab the attention of were now running up a hill on the outskirts of town, Splendid still flying high above them to fend off the Shadows from approaching any closer. As the retreating Tree Friends escaped the boundaries of Happy Tree Town, the Shadows came to a halt and yelled in an evil victory screech, sending chills down the Stranger's spine.
As he made it to the top of the hill, the Stranger turned around and watched the destruction behind him. He breathed heavily and his body shook in fear and depression as Happy Tree Town was lit up in flames. The Shadows were practically covering the entire town with the dead bodies of generic Tree Friends and the meteors destroying multiple buildings. There was no blue sky or white clouds; only the bellows of dark ash and blood that blanketed the entire world.
The Stranger stood still in a trance as the screaming Tree Friends pushed him aside to continue running. He cried inside his mind. He was warned about this. His vision gave him a clear example of this exact moment. Again, he denied it all. And the results of his actions caused the destruction of an entire town and the doom of all the innocent people in the world. His action to attempt to save everyone was going to kill them all.
He fell to his knees in defeat, crying softly as he kept his eyes on the destruction and death that stayed in front of his eyes. The Stranger looked down in depression, feeling only defeat after all of his hard work.
He then heard the voice of the mad man once more, which only made his situation even worse.
Ah, what are you doing Stranger? Don't you want to fight me? Isn't that why you came all this way to do? Why are you running Stranger? Are you afraid to lose? Are you afraid to die? Or is it because you now realize the results of your actions and now you will have all your friends die? Come on, Stranger, this is what you asked for, so come and get it!
The Stranger continued to cry in utter defeat, not wanting to move from his position as he now lost the strength and will to fight forward. But then he was brought back to attention as he felt a firm hand grab onto his shoulder. He looked over to notice the green hand of Flippy, who was staring at him in fear while gesturing his hand to get up to run.
Reluctant at first, the Stranger decided to get up with the assistance of Flippy. Once he was back to his feet, Flippy made a mad dash back to the retreating crowd of surviving Tree Friends, yelling out to them to gain their attention and follow his lead. What started out with over a thousand innocent Tree Friends was now reduced to only a few hundred generics, with only the unique Tree Friends being the only group to have survived.
The Stranger ran forward as he looked back to the destruction and waste behind him, and heard the terrible voice of the mad man one more time.
Oh come back here, Stranger! You can't hide forever! You will come back, Stranger, and I will be ready for you!